ABOUT MISHRA
Mishra are an award-winning global folk collective who use their strong roots in U.K folk to weave a tight web of intricate, Indian-influenced original music into joyous live performances. Mishra's founding partnership of Kate Griffin on vocals, banjo, and dobro and Ford Collier (The Drystones) on low whistle, percussion, and guitar are joined by John Ball (Rafiki Jazz) on tabla and santoor, Alex Lyon on vocals and clarinet, and Joss Mann-Hazell on double bass, all of whom met in Sheffield where they discovered a shared curiosity for exploring the possibilities of Indian classical music.
Since forming in 2018, they have won the Chritian Raphael prize, received critical acclaim in Songlines and Mojo and airplay on BBC Radio 2 for their albums 'The Loft Tapes' and 'Reclaim', and performed slots at festivals including Cambridge Folk Festival, Beardy, Timber, and more.
In 2021 Mishra received a commission from arts organisation zerOclassikal to create new music with renowned fusion artist and sufi vocalist Deepa Shakthi, who has worked with artists such as Kuljit Bhamra and toured with Opera North's production of Orpheus. Mishra and Deepa are writing more new material that reimagines traditional sufi compositions for a UK tour in April 2023.
LATEST ALBUM
RECLAIM
Mishra's new album RECLAIM is a joyous celebration of music’s ability to help us connect to each other and the natural world around us. Infectious tabla grooves underpin songs that deal with overcoming hardship, alongside soaring whistle instrumentals that capture the energy of an Irish tunes session, and more reflective songs that evoke the space and stillness of an Indian classical performance.
Like their 2019 album THE LOFT TAPES, RECLAIM was recorded almost entirely live-in-the-room, in a farmhouse in Gloucestershire. The whole-band recordings capture the interplay of their unique instrumental line up, and the energy of their collective improvisation and feel.
Released October 2021
“It's impossible to question the compelling tune making at the heart of Mishra”
Mojo magazine
“Reclaim is a place where Irish tune sessions meet Indian classical music in your front room"
Tim Cummings, Songlines magazine
DEBUT ALBUM
THE LOFT TAPES
In 2018 Mishra won Cambridge Folk Festival’s first ever Christian Raphael prize, the prize money from which they used to record their debut album The Loft Tapes, which features live-in-the-room analogue recordings of their uniquely accessible Indo-folk.
“Brilliantly executed Americana and folk mixed with Indian music... Lovely sound, beautifully sung… Gosh that’s tasty!”
Mike Brocken, BBC Radio Merseyside
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2020 SINGLE
SONGS OF A WISER HAND
The new single ‘Songs of a Wiser Hand’ has a contrasting A-side and B-side; following on from The Loft Tapes' (released December 2019) diverse feel, with multiple influences (Indian classical, Irish instrumental) coming to the fore on different tracks. The A side ‘Wiser Hand’ is all about musical inspiration, and how sometimes letting go of your thinking side and just letting your hands play can lead to the best musical expression. Featuring the core band (Kate Griffin, Ford Collier, Joss Mann-Hazell, and John Ball) there’s Alex Garden (The Drystones) on strings, Alex Lyon on clarinet and backing vocals, and Emerson Lee-Scott on drums.
“An outstanding new offering”
FOLK RADIO UK
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